Last weekend I was in Tata Nagar for some of my personal work. As it was just a day affair, so had not taken any leave. The work went well and was to leave by evening train. The train was almost on time. I boarded the train and reached my berth. And there was a kind of shock for me. 5 young men were sitting in that compartment. They were all drunk and their drinking was still on. One of the men requested me to take his berth which is the aisle berth. I agreed as I wasn’t in mood to invite unnecessary problems during the journey.
Thankfully I was carrying this book “Jangalnaama” by Satnam. This is the travelogue of Satnam in the Mao Guerilla camp. Since the time I had been staying in Chattisgadh, Naxalism is one topic which attracts me a lot. I really want to understand that why this philosophy of mid 60’s is still persistent when we already have moved a lot ahead in the economic progression. When Jamindari Pratha is completely eradicated and untouchability is not something which is seen in any part of the country, still why a philosophy based on these thought is attracting people. When education and development has reached to every nooks and corner of the country, why there are groups that think that development in their strong hold areas will dissemble their philosophy which is almost insignificant in today’s world. Why we still talk about social justice when a lot work has been done in last 60 – 62 years from our independence and is more or less achieved in the broader parts of nation. Why the interest of merely 1 or 2% people is jolting the entire nation.
This was a nice book. I was in flow of reading the book and the train was maintaining that flow with me. The distance was shortening station after station. Neither I nor the train cared much about that as we both were busy with the speed, one with the speed of reading and other with the speed of running. Those drunken guys were kept walking to bathroom. Just not to get distracted with this, I pulled my curtain and got engrossed in the book. I was traveling the Guerilla camps from one village to other with the author. Suddenly I heard one of the drunken guys giving some information to their pals is very loud voice. He said that Chakradharpur station is coming and this train will not go ahead of this station till the morning as there is a Naxalite affected area ahead. With this he added some abusive words to the Naxals, Railways and the Government.
I cross checked this with the attendant and this information was totally correct. So this was 10 O’clock night and the train will leave Chakradharpur station not sooner than 5 O’clock in the morning. Till the time we will have to be the uninvited guest of Chakradharpur. This is because of the fact that The Government of India think that the life of every citizen of the country is precious and this is the best our government can do to save our life from any unfortunate incidence in the area which though is part of the great nation called India but even our government is feared to cross in the darkness.
What the heck!
To my surprise our train was not the only one to stay at Chakradharpur station. There were 2 more trains halting there and 3 more were to stay there for the whole night.
This was really disgusting. For the whole 7 hours we will have to stay here for the reason that the entire nation doesn’t have any solution. Would Kanu Sanyal and Ranu Mojumdaar had been alive they would have felt proud seeing our Government helpless infront of their philosophy. Would Gandhiji have been alive, he would have felt ashamed seeing that he worked for his whole life to bring social justice in the society in his Non – violent ways but here even though the social justice has came, people is still beating that same drum just for their own nasty interest, giving priority to their thought over the nation. That 7 precious hours, 7 hours of un-productivity for the part of nation that is having only one geographical fault of being in the red corridor.
Reading “Jungalnaama” was like experiencing the book as the author was in jungle to experience the life of Mao Guerilla and I was waiting outside the jungle for him to come and board the train. Untill that, I will have to give those 7 precious hours for the cause which for sure I am not supporting.
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